What is Net Zero? What is COP26? Why would I care?
There were five mass extinction events during the history of the world, each one causing extreme damages and the last one ending the age of dinosaurs. Millions of years later, our beautiful planet had an astonishing 12 thousand years with a stable climate and conditions conducive to life. It is the Holocene epoch where the world reached the stunning biodiversity it had for a long time.
Then the Anthropocene epoch came, where human destruction started in the last 50 years.
We experience ecological instability and climate change every day. As David Attenborough explains, "The planet's stability has wavered as its biodiversity has declined, because two are bound together."
What is NetZero?
Bill Gates wants us to know two numbers about climate change: 51 Billion and Zero.
51 billion tons is the number of greenhouse gases we add every year to the atmosphere. The highest amount, 31% of 51 billion tons, is added when we make things (steel, cement, plastics). Electricity production using fossil fuels produces 27%. You might not be aware, however growing things (plants, animals) has the third-highest portion with 19%. Transportation (planes, trucks, ships) is 16%, and keeping warm and cool (heating, cooling, refrigeration) has 7%.
Zero is the target we want to reach when it comes to gas emissions.
We have to find innovative ways and breakthroughs to reach zero. It is not a wish or a good thing to do. We have to do this! We must find a way to stop climate disasters.?
Net Zero is the ultimate target we have to achieve in 2050 to have a chance and leave a sustainable world for our children and future generations.
During the 2015 Paris Climate change conference, for the first time, we saw almost every country around the world enter into a legally binding commitment to reduce emissions.?
What is COP26?
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COP26 is the 2021 edition of the United Nations annual climate change conference.
COP stands for Conference of the Parties. Parties are the signatories of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP26 is the 2021 conference, will be the 26th meeting of the Parties, which is why it's called COP26. United Nations climate change conferences are among the most comprehensive international gatherings in the world. The negotiations between governments are complex and involve officials from every country, representatives from civil society, and the global news media.
Why would I care?
We can not continue the same way we live. There is a huge threat to our future. Climate change can cause entire countries to be underwater with rising oceans. Extreme heat could make most of the world inhabitable. And lack of clean water could cause wars and conflicts.
We need to raise awareness, learn what we can do individually, and support each other.
Any action is a significant step in this life-threatening mission.
We are all in this together!
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Sales, Channels and Software Renewals
3 年Well articulated Kadir. It's important to realize that Climate change threat is not a distant risk that will affect future generations after we are long gone. It will cause rampaging devastation during our own lifetime.
Great read, thanks. While we wait for the BIG decisions from our governments, let’s not forget we can all make the small decisons every day that collectively add up…what we choose to eat, where we shop, how we travel, what we consume, what we upcycle, etc
Enterprise Strategist at Cisco
3 年Could not agree more Kadir: we're in this together and each individual needs to take their responsibility. If we do not act, we'll be the next dinosaurs